Greatest Challenges to Sargent Beach

I subscribe to the American Shore and Beach Preservation Association to learn more about how to save Sargent Beach.  They had a fascinating article on a survey to all their member about what the greatest challenges are to America's beaches. Not surprising - they are all the same issues we have.  What is interesting is that most states and locales have a long term strategic plan for coastal management.  We don't 

Summary of top coastal management challenges 

Overall, the coastal management challenges that respondents chose most frequently were: 

  • Deteriorating ecosystems leading to reduced (environmental, recreational, economic, storm buffer) functionality, 
  • Increasing storminess due to climate change (i.e. more frequent and intense impacts), 
  • Coastal flooding, both 
    • Sea level rise and associated flooding (e.g. nuisance flooding, king tides), and 
    • Combined effects of rainfall and surge on urban flooding,  
  • Chronic beach erosion (i.e. high/ increasing long-term erosion rates), and 
  • Coastal water quality, including harmful algal blooms (e.g. red tide, sargassum).
That is our problem.  And we know that some of the solutions are coming with the breakwater project and beach nourishment - but it cannot stop there.  We have to have a plan that adds more breakwaters, has periodic nourishment, has some dune restoration and planting - in order to truly save the beach. 

That is our next push - to ensure Matagorda has a long term strategic plan!

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

They had to rebid the Sargent Breakwater project

Image
 GLO must follow very strict guidelines for awarding contracts and that is both good and bad for our project.  Good in that they found an issue with the winning bidder in the final phase of the ward - bad because it means that they have to put it out for rebid. This means the timeline starts all over again.   Commissioner Estlinbaum is just as upset as we are and is staying on GLO to ensure they expedite this process so that the project gets done.  Bid is here (it moved again as of 4/26) -  https://www.txsmartbuy.com/esbd/RFP_1790-LP This is an accelerated timeline compared to the last bid Issue Solicitation March 4, 2024  Deadline for Submitting Questions March 11, 2024 at 2:00 p.m. CT  Anticipated Release Date of Answers to Questions March 15, 2024  Deadline for Submission of Solicitation Responses (including HUB Subcontracting Plan) March 28, 2023 at 2:00 p.m. CT  Evaluation Period April 1, 2024 to April 25 2024  Contractor Selection and Notice of Intent to Award April 26, 2024  Con
Read more

Update on the San Bernard - new notice of dredging

Image
They are getting the dredging of the mouth of the San Bernard back on track with engineering and permitting started. This will help the flow of sand down our way and is a big plus for our beach nourishment.  On November 9th the Army Corp issued a notice concerning the intent to finally open the San Bernard through dredging and put the sand on our side of the mouth.  This will be a much wider dredge to ensure it stays open longer and requires less maintenance.   https://www.swg.usace.army.mil/Media/Public-Notices/Article/3584757/swg-2015-00603-brazoria-county-san-bernard-river-mouth-brazoria-county-texas/
Read more

Final requirements for Sargent Breakwater project -

Image
Great details on the project on the Request for Proposal page for the Sargent Breakwater Project   - some interesting things on the construction of the breakwater and jetty at Mitchell's cut. Bids were due on October 25th so they are all in and being analyzed now.  The breakwaters are 400 feet long and spaced 660 feet apart in 4 feet depth of water. The angled terminal groin at the inlet extends to a water depth of 8 feet.  The goal of the project is to reduce beach erosion along Sargent Beach and the Matagorda Peninsula by stabilizing Sargent Beach and protecting the adjacent GIWW from erosional breaching.  The approximate cost range for construction of the Project is $28,000,000 to $35,000,000.  They will be staging at Mitchell's cut and using the road out to the cut to get equipment and supplies there The jetty will be just shy of 1/2 mile long going from the cut into the Gulf The staging areas will be secured - since one of the staging areas is the end of Mitchell cut - don
Read more